Manhattan - General Discussion

[merylinkid]

Oh my.   That didn't end well.   

 

Those houses were thrown up quickly without a lot of concerns about safety standards.   Although it looks like Los Alamos was better than Oak Ridge with its dorms.   Oh and those prefab homes -- asbestos walls.   Oh goodie.

 

I wish they had a Feynman character.   His antics were awesome.   He loved to break into the personnel files just to show how lax their security procedures really were.  The only reason he didn't wind up in the stockade was that he was too brilliant to do more than be asked -- repeatedly -- not to do that again.   It never worked.

 

One thing about the spy storyline was you forget how many other inventions came out of all this research.   It wasn't just the bomb, but all the other processes that went into making the bomb and monitoring the enrichment of the Product (never use the U word).   

[abelard]

Can someone tell me what was up with the beginning of the ep? Was the dude carrying the grocer's box of plutonium burying it in the desert? Was that before or after the events of the rest of the episode? Was the dude with the plutonium the  young scientist guy (Charles, right?  Married to Abby?) or was it someone else? I loved this ep (just liked I loved ep 1) but afterwards, I was confused by what the teaser meant.

[fastiller]

i covet the outfit that Olivia was wearing when she and the hot-shot scientist's wife were outside in Prisoner's Dilemma - the outfit with the high waisted pants & the white shirt.  I also covet having the right body to pull it off: I've got the height, not the slenderness.

[Rhetorica]

Can someone tell me what was up with the beginning of the ep? Was the dude carrying the grocer's box of plutonium burying it in the desert? Was that before or after the events of the rest of the episode? Was the dude with the plutonium the young scientist guy (Charles, right? Married to Abby?) or was it someone else? I loved this ep (just liked I loved ep 1) but afterwards, I was confused by what the teaser meant.

I think they were showing the (supposedly) covert operation on delivery of the plutonium. It wasn't Charles, just the carrier.

[Davey]

Loving this show, it's such a fascinating subject and judging by the comments here one that I'm glad I don't know everything about. I'm just going to continue watching, believing it happened exactly like this. I've just got to remember not to regurgitate it at a party like that time I embarrassed myself spouting off my vast knowledge of William Wallace based on watching Braveheart.

[Ina123]

I didn't appreciate the gratuitous sexism (bribing the working women with stockings, tee hee, those silly ladies will do anything for vanity), and nice try trying to excuse it by having a woman do the bribing.

It wasn't gratuitous. That was a very real interpretation of what could happen then. My grandmother told me women would do anything for brand new nylons. Yes, as stated above, many women went so far as to "ink" a black line up the back of their legs to make it look like they had them on.

[Ina123]

I just can't understand how they had one guy out there making the delivery of the plutonium that way. Shouldn't he have been with armed guards?

Edited August 7, 2014 by Ina123

[Rhetorica]

I just can't understand how they had one guy out there making the delivery of the plutonium that way. Shouldn't he have been with armed guards?

I think the point was to be as inconspicuous as possible. A fleet of armed guards would definitely bring attention to the package.

[abelard]

I think they were showing the (supposedly) covert operation on delivery of the plutonium. It wasn't Charles, just the carrier.

Oh got it. Thanks. I think it's really bizarre, then, that the dude delivering *plutonium* to the supersecret research facility had to take a taxi. I'd think that would actually draw more attention than just getting in an Army truck.

[merylinkid]

More creative license.   In reality the Product was delivered for use in the Gadget via carrier in a briefcase handcuffed to the courier's wrist.   

[Tara Ariano]

The loss of one of their own leaves the community reeling; and new security measures interfere with the work being performed by the scientists.

[shapeshifter]

More creative license. In reality the Product was delivered for use in the Gadget via carrier in a briefcase handcuffed to the courier's wrist.

--which would've been more authentic looking, but the orange crate made for better cinematography, so I liked it. Plus at least it wasn't unlikely like the mention of tailgating.

About poor Sid's fate and Frank's role in it: Last week, didn't Sid come to Frank and tell him he was the one who stole the papers after the group got shut down because of the theft? No? Yes? Help, I can't remember after having watched this episode, which seemed to imply that's not what happened. Maybe I misunderstood? I thought Sid was turning himself in for the good of the team and Frank's vision to save lives. But then the last scene with Frank in the holding cell made it clear Sid felt Frank had ratted him out. Maybe Sid had thought Frank would be able to convince TPTB that Sid didn't mean any harm (which Frank did try to do). No wonder Frank is such a party pooper.

About poor Sid's last choice: Did he not believe he had a chance as a radio operator? Maybe because of racism, especially towards Asians in a war theater where Americans were fighting an Asian country?

If he had been privy to TV shows from a few decades later, likely he would've backed up the vehicle like he was going back to get his pass and then gunned it to crash through the gates.

I wish they had a Feynman character.   His antics were awesome.   He loved to break into the personnel files just to show how lax their security procedures really were.  The only reason he didn't wind up in the stockade was that he was too brilliant to do more than be asked -- repeatedly -- not to do that again.   It never worked.

That does sound like a vast well for much needed comic relief, which poor Sid's story arc was not. Edited August 9, 2014 by shapeshifter

[janeta]

So if the colonel is done with Frank, why doesn't he just ship him out? Isn't it within his power to get rid of anyone he wants?

[Rhetorica]

Frank just continues to be an ass. Erasing another man's board just isn't done, but he probably corrected and solved it.

[some1105]

I guess I'm just a heartless bitch, but I can't get too worked up about Sid.  I mean, I strongly disapprove of what was being done to him in terms of methods, but he wasn't Frank's innocent victim.  Sid committed espionage, and having a sympathetic reason isn't a defense.  Frank turned a guilty man over to a system of flawed justice for a reason just as imperative to Frank as Sid's daughter was to him.  Sid then brought about his own death by rejecting a better deal than that offered to the more than 37,000 dead men on Frank's board (I guess because he was owed more for having actually stolen state secrets?), and attempting to escape a top secret military base.

 

Frank was a bigger asshole to his wife than he was to Sid.

Edited August 11, 2014 by some1105

[dubbel zout]

So if the colonel is done with Frank, why doesn't he just ship him out? Isn't it within his power to get rid of anyone he wants?

I think that while the colonel has authority over the base, the scientists are beyond his control (unless they do something wrong, like Sid did). So he can tell Frank to shove it, but he can't transfer Frank to another location. Maybe Oppenheimer is the only one who can do that, and he's been shown to be reluctant to get involved with that sort of thing. I also think Frank knows his importance to the project, so that's why he pushes so hard. He knows he's unlikely to be kicked out.

 

I wish we got a reason for why Frank is being such an asshole. I get he's under immense strain, but so is everyone else, and they're able to stay fairly civil to one another. He's a jackass to everyone.

 

I also wish we got more information about the two groups. If everyone is working toward the same end—an atomic bomb—why is Frank's group being treated with such contempt? So one of their ideas didn't initially work. What's the big deal with trying at least one more time? I get they don't want to waste plutonium, but if they think they're on to something, isn't in everyone's best interests to follow through?

[Rhetorica]

Since two different gadgets were eventually used, won't both groups be successful?

What they're calling Thin Man became Little Boy, the gun like gadget made from uranium. Fat Man was the implosion gadget with a plutonium core. But isn't Frank's team using the gun gadget? So he ends up making Little Boy? I'm confused...

[Latverian Diplomat]

Since two different gadgets were eventually used, won't both groups be successful?

What they're calling Thin Man became Little Boy, the gun like gadget made from uranium. Fat Man was the implosion gadget with a plutonium core. But isn't Frank's team using the gun gadget? So he ends up making Little Boy? I'm confused...

Close. But I think Frank's team is doing implosion, which is what the Fat Man design was based on. 

 

The implosion design was on the outs for a while, but revived when the (thin man) gun design proved unworkable for plutonium. 

 

And I don't think the key to getting the implosion design to work involved break ins and thefts. Which is a silly idea in general, and especially if the base is in a heightened state of security. I didn't care for the Sid Liao plot, and since they milked it throughout this episode, I really didn't enjoy this one. 

[Latverian Diplomat]

Frank just continues to be an ass. Erasing another man's board just isn't done, but he probably corrected and solved it.

I guess that was supposed to be Charlie Isaacs getting a little of his own medicine. I have a little exposure to high end theoretical work (though not in physics) but my impression is you are more likely to have a colleague say "try this approach" or "look at it this way" and have that lead to a breakthrough with some additional work than to have them say "Bam, here's the answer" like Athena springing from the head of Zeus. At this level, the math is is too hard for even a genius to get the answer off the top of their head, and lots of promising ideas lead to dead ends. It's the math equivalent of "a beautiful idea killed by an ugly fact".

[ybrik]

Okay are we supposed to root for Winter's team? Honestly they all seem like a bunch of asses except the one they all think is an ass. I actually cheered when the Frank got put in his place after he tried to blackmail the colonel. I want the team to find out about him selling out Sidney. Then the guy with glasses going after guy who shot Sidney. He punched him once and got pinned down on the table. He could have gotten wailed on if the kid had been wanting to but he let him up only for him to take advantage with two more punches. I understand him being angry but he really was jerk about it all episode.

 

Liked Charlie schooling his team mates, It was entertaining but also really the first time that I could really see why everyone sees him as this genius. Also liked the mention that Charlie's real competition is the German scientist.

 

Also liked the scene with Winter's wife and the kid who shot Sidney(Still working on the names.) She was so good with him in that she allowed him talk without judging him. It's a shame she is married to Frank because she seems too good for him.

 

Interesting bit with Abby getting a job and also finding out that she has a trust fund. However, wondering what is going on with her and the neighbor lady. One week she is looking in on the neighbor while the neighbor is naked then the neighbor looks on Abby and Charlie the next week. Now they are working together.

 

Right now I am finding myself liking Abby and Winter's wife the most and not liking most of scientists. However, the story with the scientists still interests me the most.

Edited August 11, 2014 by ybrik

[Latverian Diplomat]

Also liked the mention that Charlie's real competition is the German scientist.

 

They finally used a real scientist's name (besides Oppenheimer). There was a lot of worry about what Heisenberg might be up to, but it turned that he accomplished very little. A few of his defenders claim that he was deliberately unproductive, but the consensus seems to be that Heisenberg just went down the wrong path on what a good reactor design (to make Plutonium) would be. Even if he had gotten full funding, his design would have never worked.

[Rhetorica]

Thanks, Latverian Diplomat, for all the insights. I enjoy knowing about the reality behind the fiction and it in no way detracts from the story. 

[mjc570]

I've been watching this, but I am starting to wonder why.  I get that it was a war situation, and the scientists were engaged in tremendously important work that directly impacted the number of casulaties, but the show is just so grim.  I know every story needs a problem and Frank's group are the underdogs, but I wish that something positive - even a little thing - could go their way.  I'm just tired of Frank being such an ass ALL THE TIME. 

[janeta]

And I guess this is the point to mention the definitive history of the A bomb, Richard Rhodes' "Making of the Atomic Bomb." Long, dense, but very informative if you're interested in this history. (He wrote one on the H bomb, too.)

[shapeshifter]

I guess that was supposed to be Charlie Isaacs getting a little of his own medicine. I have a little exposure to high end theoretical work (though not in physics) but my impression is you are more likely to have a colleague say "try this approach" or "look at it this way" and have that lead to a breakthrough with some additional work than to have them say "Bam, here's the answer" like Athena springing from the head of Zeus. At this level, the math is is too hard for even a genius to get the answer off the top of their head, and lots of promising ideas lead to dead ends. It's the math equivalent of "a beautiful idea killed by an ugly fact".

So do you mean Frank deliberately erased the irrelevant stuff and circled the important part because ultimately, he just wants to build a bomb "to end all wars" and doesn't really care whose team wins? BTW, I loved it when his wife spoke for us and questioned whether it would end all wars.

Eventually Frank's team will find out he ratted out Sidney, right? But my understanding was that he didn't think it would go down the way it did--that Frank figured they'd let Sidney go with an admonishment not to sell patents. Right?

I'm assuming the guy who shot Sidney will commit suicide if he ever gets a chance to go to confession, even though that would be another mortal sin.

The whole episode was appropriately morose after the tragic death, but the last scene of the letter going in the file got to me personally the most because I sent over 365 letters to Vietnam--another lost cause.

Edited August 12, 2014 by shapeshifter

[dubbel zout]

Eventually Frank's team will find out he ratted out Sidney, right? But my understanding was that he didn't think it would go down the way it did--that Frank figured they'd let Sidney go with an admonishment not to sell patents. Right?

 

That's how I saw, too. Sidney would be quietly reassigned to the Pacific as a radio operator. But what Frank didn't count on was Sidney not being able to be that far away from his family, as well as being unhappy in the line of fire, even if he would be far from the front. I also thought the soldier who shot was was just itching for a reason to unholster his gun and use it. We didn't see the earlier scenes of him being disgusted with his assignment at Los Alamos for nothing. Sidney had a gun, true, but the soldier was awfully trigger-happy.

[bentley]

What I found most interesting about this episode is all the hints that young Charlie is a Frank in the making.

 

I didn't care for the colonel's self-righteousness. In the chicken/egg analogy I would argue that Sid's head wouldn't be in a duffel bag if the colonel hadn't deliberately initiated a spy investigation into someone he knew wasn't really a spy, or used it as an excuse to shut down Frank's group. His hands aren't clean but he takes no responsibility.

 

Where have I seen that actor before on Charlie's team? the one who told him he was given an unsolvable puzzle. He usually plays an ass of some kind, if I'm not mistaken, but I can't place him.

 

I envy any of you mathematically gifted viewers who look at these chalkboards full of equations and computations and can read and follow them like it was a first grade primer.

[Rhetorica]

The first episode nailed 1.8 million viewers... I'm not sure if this is good or bad since I don't follow Neilson ratings.

http://www.techtimes.com/articles/12948/20140814/four-reasons-you-should-be-watching-wgns-manhattan.htm

[Featherhat]

It's the ratings for the 3 combined telecasts of the show. It's ok, although Salem premiered higher. Considering this is only their 2nd scripted series WGN is probably fine with them. 

[Rhetorica]

It's the ratings for the 3 combined telecasts of the show. It's ok, although Salem premiered higher. Considering this is only their 2nd scripted series WGN is probably fine with them.

I like the show and hope it brings in more viewers so it's renewed.

[FadingRose]

About poor Sid's last choice: Did he not believe he had a chance as a radio operator? Maybe because of racism, especially towards Asians in a war theater where Americans were fighting an Asian country?

 

Sid seemed willing, though reluctantly, to be a radio operator in the Pacific, but I think once he realized Frank sold him out in exchange for keeping their group together, he was out for revenge.  Immediately after Frank left, Sid asked the army guard to get Toby Ziegler back because he was ready to talk (presumably about Frank).  

 

Edit - I assumed Sid was on his way to kill Frank (trying to break into the place)... but apparently he was trying to break out?  Well, I read that scene wrong!

Edited August 16, 2014 by FadingRose

[shapeshifter]

Sid seemed willing, though reluctantly, to be a radio operator in the Pacific, but I think once he realized Frank sold him out in exchange for keeping their group together, he was out for revenge.  Immediately after Frank left, Sid asked the army guard to get Toby Ziegler back because he was ready to talk (presumably about Frank).  

 

I assume Sid was on his way to kill Frank...

Except Sid was trying to leave the base, where Frank lived. Maybe instead, "once he realized Frank sold him out in exchange for keeping their group together," Sid just decided he didn't trust anything Frank claimed he had done on Sid's behalf, and figured he'd be sent straight to the front as "cannon" fodder, and so had nothing to lose by making a run for it. The gun might have just been for self defense and to threaten the guards into hopefully letting him pass. And/or he might have figured suicide by guard was preferable to any other options awaiting him after several nights of torture (sleep deprivation through constant noise and light, etc.).

Anyway, it was all very sad and depressing. This show has a lot of nice production values. I just hope it doesn't become unwatchable because it is such a downer. Even Breaking Bad had levity. They call it comic "relief" for a reason.

I still think that Frank never intended for things to get so out of hand with Sid--that Frank figured Sid would get off with a wrist slap--but, if so, that was pretty naive of Frank.

[ganesh]

You have no idea what a woman would have done for stockings during WWII.

 

I didn't have a problem with it at all. I would think all sorts of "bribes" between anyone who had anything rationed was going on left and right. They made a point to talk about the whisky earlier too. The steno pool consisted of women. They needed a labor force to crunch numbers, so they offered something the women would want. nbd. 

 

I thought the daughter was a little too modern with her line readings, but again, nbd. The "well, at least she's reading" was funny. 

 

I don't need this to be heavy on the tech because I know all of it. I liked the overall focus on the tension and just how secretive this project was. Since there were actually spies there. 

 

I wasn't buying Charlie's overly forward thinking, "what will happen if the Russians, Chinese, Iranians get the bomb?" I think the show was being a little heavy handed with the Nuclear Weapons Are Bad. Not that these people weren't aware of the larger implications, but it really didn't matter. The Germans didn't give a fuck and weren't going to stop. 

I did like after his little monologue, Frank spat back, "You been to Poland lately? There's no Jews there right now." Which I guess underscored the whole point. I probably have all the ins and outs of nuclear weapons ethics covered, so I didn't really need to see it.

 

I liked it. I didn't mind that there were fictional characters. Clearly, Oppenheimer was Oppenheimer. It's kind of cool they're doing it from the "team pov" and not the "boss pov" Although I was yelling, "no, the Thin Man won't work!"

[ganesh]

Frank is so freakin selfish! In his career, home, family he is just one arrogant bastard.

 

Yeah, but he's actually right though. It is the bomb that literally ends WWII. No one is giving him the resources to even demonstrate proof of principle. I get that they are racing the Germans, but implosion has huge advantages if it can be proved to work. I don't have a problem with Frank being an asshole. He's not nearly as bad a some of old-school professors from when I was in grad school. They were the 'next generation' from Frank. 

 

The escape attempt was a ridiculous contrivance. One of the problems with adding invented characters to a genuinely interesting historical story is that writers indulge in that sort of silliness.

 

I get that this gives the writers leeway since they aren't constrained by actual events, but I'm not thinking the story of the atomic bomb really needs it. 

 

I mean, I strongly disapprove of what was being done to him in terms of methods, but he wasn't Frank's innocent victim.  Sid committed espionage, and having a sympathetic reason isn't a defense.

 

Yeah, sorry, but no. I'm not going down because you had one moment of crisis, resulting in *espionage* even if it was your own work. Reproduce it on your own at home. 

[shapeshifter]

A high-profile guest shakes things up on The Hill; Frank is haunted by his past.

From http://nicegirlstv.com/2014/08/14/manhattan-last-reasoning-of-kings-synopsis-and-photos/ : "...Meanwhile, The Hill receives a special visitor in famed physicist Neils Bohr...Guest starring...Christian Clemenson (“CSI: Miami”) as Neils Bohr..."

[mjc570]

Wow, am I really the only person watching this?  That was a super episode - loved Neils Bohr, especially his impact on Liza W.  It was hard on Frank, but it seems finally some good things are happening for his team:  (1)  the British guy is on board; (2) Charlie is closer to joining/being exiled to the implosion group. 

[Latverian Diplomat]

I'm glad you enjoyed the episode, but I'm really having trouble with Frank as the anchor character. For example,

 

 (1)  the British guy is on board; 

I don't know why though. First Frank almost kills himself ignoring safety protocols for no good reason (I guess they didn't bring a second reel of film?). Explosives are dangerous.

 

Then he makes a big dramatic speech punctuated by waving a gun in someone's face. Guns are dangerous too.

 

If anything, these two incidents would have made British guy want to leave even more. On TV, of course, it's a convincing leadership style.

 

Frank is taking needless, irresponsible risks because he sees himself as uniquely appreciative of the boys on the front lines. In real life, that's the kind of person I would want to stay the hell away from.

[bentley]

I love the character of Frank, so this episode was a hoot for me. Here you have this revered guest of honor who everyone wants a piece of, and all he can do is talk about Frank, ask about Frank, insist on seeing Frank's work, talk to Frank's wife, etc etc. Meanwhile Frank is so indifferent to protocol that he is going to drive out in the desert and conduct more tests instead of joining the parade. Then there's Charlie's shock at seeing Frank smile, chat and sincerely welcome this scientist  who he himself is a little awed by and struggling to connect with. He never got that kind of reception from either man!. I'm sure there's also some jealousy there that Frank with no effort commands the respect and camaraderie of a man who Charlie would do anything to impress. Frank puts that small group of people who he respects in a different category than everyone else, and Charlie got to see what he could be like if he thinks you're worthy. And yep, I know that makes Frank arrogant, unlikable and difficult, but I love him anyway.

 

So glad the British physicist didn't defect. I'm rooting for Frank's ragtag group.

 

I don't understand the math and science involved, so I like the occasional asides from characters letting me know this is complicated stuff I'm looking at. "Like a star swallowing itself" I think is how Charlie put it,  looking at Frank's chalkboard computations.

[ybrik]

It is weird. I like the show but can't stand Frank. I don't want Charlie joining up with him. I want Charlie to beat him.

 

I find myself enjoying the history aspect of the show along with other characters.

[shapeshifter]

Wow, am I really the only person watching this?

I am--just not live.

I liked it when Callie told Dunlavey he was the one who shot and killed her father's mathematician.

Edited August 19, 2014 by shapeshifter

[mt-glass]

Is Frank deaf in his left ear?  I noticed when they showed his flashbacks or other Frank only scenes the sound was only from the right channel speaker.

[dubbel zout]

I'm rooting for Frank's ragtag group.

I still don't understand why Frank's group is getting little to no support from the higher-ups. If they don't think his ideas will work, disband the group and/or have them work on something else. Or let Frank do it all himself, which is what he seems to do anyway.

 

It cracked me up that everyone was kowtowing to Neils Bohr and all he wanted to do was chat with Frank. Hee. Of course these guys all know of each other, but I also thought it was a little too convenient that Frank was pals with Bohr. What's next, Frank and Alan Turing used to run marathons together?

[jumper sage]

I want to like this show.  It is right up my alley with historical shows..........I fall asleep every single time I watch this show.  I fell asleep so often (DVR) for this episode I just gave up and deleted it.  Sigh.

[Latverian Diplomat]

I still don't understand why Frank's group is getting little to no support from the higher-ups. If they don't think his ideas will work, disband the group and/or have them work on something else. Or let Frank do it all himself, which is what he seems to do anyway.

 

It cracked me up that everyone was kowtowing to Neils Bohr and all he wanted to do was chat with Frank. Hee. Of course these guys all know of each other, but I also thought it was a little too convenient that Frank was pals with Bohr. What's next, Frank and Alan Turing used to run marathons together?

Historically, there was a small implosion group working in parallel with the main Thin Man design team. 

Which turned out to be a good thing, because the Thin Man design turned out to be unworkable with Plutonium.

I don't know if there was this much resentment and backstabbing between the two teams (I doubt it). Certainly the main characters are fictional, and there is probably some artistic license in the portrayal of real people like Oppenheimer and Bohr.

 

FWIW, many of the Manhattan project scientists were either European or Americans who, like Oppenheimer, had studied there. If you wanted to study cutting edge physics in the '20s and '30s, that was the place to be. And the upper echelon of particle physics was still pretty small back then. However, AFAIK, Oppenheimer did not know Bohr very well if at all, so the idea that Bohr would know and want to hang out with some "lesser mortal" rings true to me.

[Veruca Assault]

I also really want to like the show, but I fell asleep about 10 times in this episode. I woke up when my husband kept pausing it as he saw I was asleep. I should have enjoyed this one more than the others with the WWI flashbacks.

[shapeshifter]

The depiction of Niels Bohr by Christian Clemenson (directed by Paris Barclay and script by Tom Spezialy & Gideon Yago) made this a good episode for me. The Wikipedia article about the real Niels Bohr makes him also sound like a fascinating person: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niels_Bohr

I especially liked the scene where he encouraged Liza Winter to pursue botany again, even if it was a little OOC for her to need support from others.

IRL in the early 1940s, Frank would be looking at amputation of his foot if not death. I hope they don't go there.

Edited August 20, 2014 by shapeshifter

[Emily Thrace]

It is weird. I like the show but can't stand Frank. I don't want Charlie joining up with him. I want Charlie to beat him.

 

I find myself enjoying the history aspect of the show along with other characters.

 

I think it would be hilairious if Charlie was put in charge of Frank's group actually and given how everyone is acting towards both characters I could see it happening.  Frank is really becoming an asshole I really hate how he bitches about everyone else being underhanded when he's stealing and lying more than everyone else so far.

 

I really like Charlie and Abigail more than I thought I would. She actually seems like a bit of a social climber and might actually be useful to Charlie when it comes to the inevitable politics that will come with this kind of job.

 

Aikley (Charlie's Boss) is actually intriging me I had him pegged as your typical ambituios Blue-Blooded asshole but he may actually have more depth than that. It could be the actor though he tends to play those roles. Or maybe its just that next Winters he looks so damn sane and reasonable.

[Tara Ariano]

Frank clashes with Charlie to protect Babbit, who has become the subject of an investigation.

[Primetimer]

Though she's basically a walking flower metaphor machine, Frank's wife is the best thing about WGN's nuclear drama.

Read the story

[Rhetorica]

I finally had a chance to catch up. I'm enjoying the character development. Each person is becoming more multifaceted and less a caricature. Frank's backstory about WWI explains why he is so zealous about winning the war. Liza saying, "I used to be a botanist but now I'm a physicist's wife." was moving. Crosley writing to Sid's wife shows he's not the smart ass he presents to the rest of the group. I have heard the story of Charlie Bohr asking, "Is it big enough?"  Anyone know if that's true or myth?